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Throughout the previous race for the White House, Donald Trump courted voters with pledges to reduce costs immediately upon taking office. However, once he assumed office, he seemed to pay minimal attention to the cost of living. This shifted after inflation-weary voters delivered a rebuke at the polls. Within days, the Trump administration initiated a hastily assembled campaign to tackle affordability. Regrettably, the drive has proven a hot mess—characterized by absurdity, inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, blame-shifting, and misleading statements.

Detached Claims and Grocery Store Reality

Merely 48 hours post-election, the president began his cost-reduction push with a poorly received statement: “Our groceries are way down. Everything is way down… So I don’t want to hear about affordability.” This comment from billionaire Trump—often mingles with fellow billionaires—revealed a lack of empathy for everyday citizens facing difficulties every time they go supermarkets. Essentially, he dismissed their struggles as unimportant, implying they were mistaken about actual costs.

This statement that everything was “way down” proved highly misleading and inaccurate. In what way could all costs be falling when the taxes he imposed were increasing prices? Recent data indicate banana prices increased nearly 7% over the past year, beef prices went up 14.7%, and coffee prices jumped 18.9%—in part due to punitive tariffs applied to Brazilian products. Between January and September, prices rose in the majority of food categories tracked by the government’s price index, such as animal proteins (rising over 4%), non-alcoholic beverages (increasing nearly 3%), and fruits and vegetables (rising slightly).

Contradictions and Inaccuracies in Economic Statements

In spite of these numbers, Trump persists in repeating his big lie about affordability. After the vote, he has claimed there is “almost no price increases,” declared “costs have fallen significantly,” and asserted “living is cheaper under Trump than it was under sleepy Joe Biden.” These statements contradict the reality that general costs have unarguably risen after the previous administration. At present, price growth is running at a 3% annual rate, which is 50% higher than the central bank’s target of 2 percent. In another falsehood, Trump boasted that fuel costs had dropped to around two dollars, even though official data show they are over three dollars.

Faced with reality and lower approval ratings, advisers evidently warned that his “prices are down” message made him sound disconnected from ordinary people. Many voters are frustrated about prices continuing to climb after promises of reductions. As a result, advisers suggested a simple solution: roll back some of Trump’s beloved tariffs. The logical move contradicted Trump’s absurd assertion that new tariffs would not increase costs for American shoppers.

Proposed Fixes and Their Possible Impact

With certain taxes being rolled back on several food items, Trump will likely announce that he has cut prices once these products begin to fall in price. That would be like an arsonist taking credit for extinguishing a fire that he ignited. In another instance, when addressing McDonald’s executives, he declared that “we are in the peak period of America” and told listeners that “costs are decreasing and all of that stuff.” Such statements come naturally for a wealthy individual to make, but they ring hollow to countless households facing hardships—especially when millions risk losing food stamps or rising insurance costs.

According to a survey conducted last fall, 74% of Americans believe the state of the economy are mediocre or bad, while only 26% consider them positive. Another poll found that 61% of Americans feel Trump’s policies have “made the economy worse” in the country.

Economic Reality and Proposed Measures

The treasury secretary, the president’s top economic official, lately disputed claims of a golden age. He noted that instead of thriving, certain sectors of the US economy “have contracted.” Industrial production—a priority for the administration—appears to have contracted for eight months in a row and shed around tens of thousands of positions this year. Citing these challenges, Bessent urged the central bank to cut interest rates—an action that could help affordability.

Reacting to public dismay about affordability, Trump suggested a direct payment of “a payout of at least $2,000 a person” excluding “the wealthy.” For many households in need, this sounds like a financial lifeline, but the prospects are dim that lawmakers—already alarmed about large shortfalls—will approve the proposal. This idea would likely raise government expenditure, increase borrowing costs, and potentially drive prices higher by putting more money into the economy.

A further proposed solution for cost issues involved introducing half-century home loans, with the notion that this would reduce monthly mortgage payments. However, the truth is that such lengthy loans have minimal impact to reduce installments—often reducing them by a small amount each month. The downside is that these loans could more than double the overall cost borrowers pay and hinder their accumulation of equity.

Blaming the Past Government and Financial Outlook

In their cost-cutting effort, Trump and his team have once more pointed fingers at the previous president for economic problems, including increasing costs. Spokespeople stated they “inherited a disaster from Joe Biden” and were “cleaning up the prior administration’s price hikes.” These are unfounded and inaccurate allegations. In reality, the former president left a strong economy, with low price growth, solid expansion, and unemployment low. However, the current administration’s actions—especially import taxes—have resulted in an economic mess, driving costs higher and slowing GDP growth.

According to Mark Zandi, lead analyst at a research firm, numerous regions are experiencing economic decline, with their conditions worsened by the administration’s trade policies. He worries that if key regions such as California and New York enter a downturn, the US could slide into a broad economic slump. In downturns, people typically have reduced funds to spend, and inflation usually declines. Sadly, with the highly-touted affordability campaign probably ineffective to control costs, his most effective “tool” for achieving increased affordability might end up pushing the nation into recession—something that hard-pressed households cannot handle.